Quick Pickled Cucumber Tomato Salad

I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure my days of canning are over. Or at least on pause for a while.

I’m not opposed to doing it again, but I learned something pretty quickly after our big garden and endless canning motivation back in Kentucky – we can’t eat it all. Especially when it is jam, or jalapenos, or relish.

Salsa we did a pretty good job of polishing off, but the rest of it? It was just too much to have around or even to give away. 

These days my time is spent making small batches of jam in a saucepan and popping it in the fridge, versus a water bath for long term storage. Same goes for pickling – it is small batch quick pickling all the way.

Growing up we always had cucumber salad in the summer made with a sugar and vinegar dressing.  

I still make a similar version, but with a bit less sugar. Occasionally I throw in other veggies which is how this salad came about.

I don’t find many rare varieties of tomatoes here, but occasionally I do find grape and pear tomatoes at the farm stand. I got lucky this week when I got a whole bag of grape (I think) tomatoes for just $2. 

I decided to see how they would work in a bit of a quick pickle preparation along with the cucumbers and white onion I bought on the same shopping trip. 

It’s summer in a side dish right here. 

This salad is super easy to make. It is also great to take along on a picnic or to a potluck. If you get a jar that is big enough, everything will fit in one and you can pop it in the fridge, then transport it to where you need to go. I ended up using one of the large KORKEN jars from IKEA. The one that is about 1.9 quarts. 

I used grape tomatoes, but cherry or pear would work, too. I also used dried dill because my dill in the herb garden dried up from the hot sun weeks ago. You can use either. 

Give it a good 4 hours in the fridge before you eat it. The longer it sits the more the tangy, slightly sweet flavor will come through. I typically try to finish up quick-pickled veggies in two to three days. 

What you’ll need: 

2 cups water
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 to 3 pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried dill, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon peppercorns

How to make it:

Add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 30 seconds, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. 

Using 2 quart jars or 1 large two-quart jar, layer the onions in the bottom of the jar(s). Add the cucumber slices and then the tomatoes. Sprinkle in the dill and then the peppercorns. 

Pour the liquid into the jar. Seal the jar and shake to mix the vegetables with the liquid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, shaking once or twice as it rests, before serving. The salad is best eaten within 2 to 3 days of preparation.